I mentioned in my column yesterday that a good friend from California, Scott, visited me recently. He and I watched a bunch of Oakland A's games together, and this is a perfect story for any fan of the team or of baseball.

One of Oakland's broadcasters is a guy named Ray Fosse, who was famously blasted at home plate by Pete Rose in the 1970 All-Star Game, a play that stokes mixed feelings to this day. Some say it spoke highly of Rose's competitiveness and will to win. Others, like me, think it speaks more of Pete Rose as an asshole, for separating a catcher's shoulder in what was nothing more than an exhibition of the game's top talent. It simply wasn't worth putting someone's career on the line.

Anyway, Scott and Fosse happen to have units at the same storage facility in Walnut Creek. Scott's seen him like seven times there. In January, Scott visited his lock-up and waved hello to the A's boothman. The next day, Scott was in Las Vegas, where he saw Pete Rose at some kind of autograph-signing thing.